(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post
|
I don't think anyone realistically thinks we are likely to win an AI this year or next. It s not impossible but its very unlikely. A Leinster title and a championship victory over a Munster team would both be realistic goals though. Tbh 96 was coming a long time but we still weren't favourites or even close that year. Nor were we in 97 when we were defending Liam. Since then we haven't been in the top 5 or 6 favourites any year so an AIQF is pretty much as far as we would be expected to go in a good year. Part of the problem when looking at the team and players coming through is that some lads on this seem to think we are entitled to be winning Liam and seem then to get all the more disappointed when we don't. While we should be ambitious we have to be realistic at the same time. We were short a few players to get over the line in 2019. And again last year. If we don't give lads games at this time of year to bring their games on, and bring others into the panel so they can learn how to train properly and be given proper S and C programs, we will always come up short in the big games. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16782 - 02/03/2023 10:14:22 2461350 Link 1 |
|
Of the lads you name there when they were 20 years old O hanlon was thought of as a footballer, Chin "couldn't hurl" according to experts like yourself, Mogie done his ACL, Ryan wasn't great at u21 either. Only Mac really shone as an underage hurler off that list, and he's been probably the most disappointing one of the players you named there for the Senior team because of it. Usual story with us Wexford fans and unrealistic expectations. Aside from him of the current panel only Dunbar, ROC and Conall Flood were really really exceptional as underage hurlers along with Damien Reck, and Flood was blighted by injuries.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16782 - 02/03/2023 10:25:03 2461354 Link 1 |
|
Very disappointing to read that AJ Redmond and Cian molloy won't commit ( and that's not a criticism of them) but they would've been regarded as being in the top 3/4 players on the Leinster minor winning team. If we cannot hold on to our better players we will find it very difficult to make progress. Hopefully they might get involved again in the future. HurlingBuzz (Wexford) - Posts: 556 - 02/03/2023 11:29:14 2461372 Link 0 |
|
Personally I think we've about 12 lads who are good standard (some top top players in that 12 as well) ntercounty hurlers. Once we reach outside that I think we struggle big time. But this isn't a new problem, even in 96 we had 15ish at was the most we've had a one stage since the golden Era of the 50s-70s. During the late 00s we had about 5/6 and a hell of a lot of (no doubt honest) lads just not up to it. We were blessed to get a very big crew of lads with the 3 in a row Leinster u21 teams and 1/2 young lads just after that. We just don't have the numbers to replace them all. In counties like ours, Limericks, Clare etc were always going to be reliant on loads of lads of the one age coming at the right time together. Limericks dominace will come to an end and they couod just as easily fall back into another famine without winning, when you're winning people always say you're doing the right things and then those main lads go and you revert to type and you're doing everything wrong. All the talk of Limericks panel depth and no one has broken on to the team since 2018 (winning why change it I know) but they've brought on injured Cian Lynch and Peter Casyes ahead of these lads. Once they're gone it doesn't be long drying up. In 3 years time when all those lads are into their 30s the same quality just isn't going to be there (not in the same number anyways) Point I'm making is that sometimes you just get lucky with generations coming. Of course you've to work so hard to harvest with this crop and make sure they come through and live up to expectations, some counties very good at this, Limerick now, Offaly in the 80s/90s, Wexford in the 50s. Some are terrible like Galway with their underage to senior title conversion rates. I do think we should be doing way better at underage, schools level etc, it is a pretty damning stats of this county and some of the work being done. But if we do get all the easy stuff like organisation,, training, coaching, the stuff we can control no matter what, that when a golden crop do come through (hopefully in my lifetime) that everything is right to harvest as much at senior as we can. Do I think we are as good as we can be at underage or schools even with a smaller population? No, not even close. Throughthemidfieldhewasstormin (Wexford) - Posts: 332 - 02/03/2023 12:21:15 2461383 Link 0 |
|
Word on the grapevine is Paudie Foley is increasingly unlikely to be back this year. That's hardly a secret. In fairness, there's only so much management can do in a situation like that. If it's a choice between what's probably a once-in-a-lifetime extra couple of months in Australia, or an earlier return to ordinary life in Ireland, then Australia is always going to look attractive. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3004 - 02/03/2023 12:49:12 2461388 Link 0 |
|
Lads coming on here putting 2/3years on lads ages, this lad will be gone etc... pathetic. You could say the same about a lot of other lads on other teams, Tony Kelly, tj Reid etc... yes they might have more in the 22-25 brackets coming through but these counties might never produce these one in a generation type players again. hunting (Wexford) - Posts: 1150 - 02/03/2023 12:59:47 2461391 Link 0 |
|
Agreed as regards AJ and Molloy. Hopefully they will give it another shot but I guess gymwork etc isn't for everyone. In the halfbacks Foley is a massive loss. Jacko just doesn't seem to be mobile enough from what I've seen this year. I don't know if that is a mental thing or down to injury. He's playing at half speed. Jack Cullen not committing is a loss too. Conor Foley and Ian Carty are good prospects at the position although new to the panel, and therefore are behind on senior intercounty experience and S and C, but hopefully can step up come championship. Conor Foley would obviously be an important player for the u20s too though. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16782 - 02/03/2023 13:37:54 2461399 Link 0 |
|
Agreed as regards AJ and Molloy. Hopefully they will give it another shot but I guess gymwork etc isn't for everyone. In the halfbacks Foley is a massive loss. Jacko just doesn't seem to be mobile enough from what I've seen this year. I don't know if that is a mental thing or down to injury. He's playing at half speed. Jack Cullen not committing is a loss too. Conor Foley and Ian Carty are good prospects at the position although new to the panel, and therefore are behind on senior intercounty experience and S and C, but hopefully can step up come championship. Conor Foley would obviously be an important player for the u20s too though. I read Alan Ahernes thoughts on Bailey. He did well before the ACL injury. There must be something we aren't being told happen there. Apparently he's fully fit although he only played around one half of hurling during the Walsh Cup. MOH returning would obviously be massive if he plays as well as he did last year. We don't have many other options there apart from these lads tbh. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16782 - 02/03/2023 13:41:40 2461401 Link 1 |
|
Paudi Foley couldnt care less about Wexford,only hurled when it suited him,to me people make out he's a huge loss,any forward worth there salt destroyed him,he's not a good defender by any means!!! Real hurling people will see this and all others see the odd long range frees and the odd score from the half backline!!! Better of without him in my view!!! He had a chance to hurl centre back too couldn't do it totally overated theboys (Wexford) - Posts: 285 - 02/03/2023 14:08:48 2461409 Link 0 |
|
Just for clarity I think AJ might have been dropped rather than not committed, he was in the panel in January, also a panelist told me Paudie won't be back this year which is hardly a bombshell. TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 02/03/2023 14:14:20 2461412 Link 0 |
|
No Mogie?
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16782 - 02/03/2023 14:19:07 2461413 Link 0 |
|
He didn't want to do the S and C etc apparently so was dropped.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16782 - 02/03/2023 14:30:43 2461417 Link 0 |
|
This isn't his 1st year away from the hurlers either. While he wouldn't be in the same class of halfback as MOH and Reck he was still OK tbh. Agreed centreback wasn't for him though.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16782 - 02/03/2023 14:33:02 2461418 Link 0 |
|
How long is Jacko part of the panel now? And how come he hasn't nailed down a starting spot all this time? He has been given every opportunity (unlike some of the lads who were unceremoniously cut from the panel after the weekend)- has been tried up front and in defence. If he isn't mobile enough, he shouldn't be considered. Doesn't have the aggression for centre-back either. All his best prior work came as an impact sub, but as regards being a starter, that ship has sailed if you ask me.
beano (Wexford) - Posts: 1503 - 02/03/2023 14:59:35 2461428 Link 2 |
|
Tony Kelly is the only player I've seen destroy him but he's destroyed many a hurler in the last 10 years. Thanks anyway for the insightful opinion of a 'real hurling person'! HurlingBuzz (Wexford) - Posts: 556 - 02/03/2023 15:00:12 2461429 Link 0 |
|
This is the sort of comment that I don't think anybody finds particularly helpful or in any way constructive, and it's a real example of what players and managers are referring to when they talk about "anonymous keyboard warriors". I prefer to keep an eye on this forum rather than the likes of Facebook or Twitter, because in fairness, we don't get much of it around here. But at least on Facebook, people are generally posting under their real names, instead of hiding behind a username. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3004 - 02/03/2023 15:03:50 2461430 Link 0 |
|
Yes. I believe AJ was dropped in the same series of phone calls as Gavin Bailey, on the day after the challenge match v Waterford.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3004 - 02/03/2023 15:05:36 2461431 Link 0 |
|
If we are begging lads to come back from Australia to play championship in April it's all the one. Foley is a good player for sure but no superstar either let's be honest. Put a line through him for this year and move on. Maybe put that bit of extra man management to use with getting the likes of Redmond and Molloy especially back in the camp instead. We have two league games to find a new centre back for Galway in Salthill in April. After his effort last weekend I don't think you could ever try JOC in the HB line again. Flood was shocking last weekend at CF but probably better suited to either HB line or midfield. It's likely MOH, Reck/Devitt and Flood for April. Egan like Davy has preferred to match up defenders to forwards but I'd prefer us to show faith in our own lads, in the HB line anyway to hold whoever in their best position. Timbertony (Wexford) - Posts: 442 - 02/03/2023 15:40:07 2461437 Link 0 |
|
That challenge game went very similarly to last Sunday Pikeman.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16782 - 02/03/2023 15:40:50 2461438 Link 0 |
|
Regards jack why can't he catch the ball it's like he's waiting for a slap in the back he ducks every time even with his goal last year against Clare he was the same. The man needs to be braver Wexfordgaa (Wexford) - Posts: 370 - 02/03/2023 15:50:03 2461441 Link 0 |